MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Middle Tennessee State University faculty and staff were welcomed to the new academic year Thursday, Aug. 24, with promising news about fall enrollment, another prestigious national ranking and launch of a new special recognition for several select employees who’ve gone above and beyond in their service to students and campus community.

Now in his 23rd year leading the Blue Raider campus, President Sidney A. McPhee shared his annual State of the University address to several hundred faculty and staff gathered inside Tucker Theatre as part of traditional Fall Faculty Meeting to kickstart the 2023-24 academic year that officially begins Monday, Aug. 28.

As thousands of new students continue moving into their dorms throughout campus this week, McPhee praised those inside Tucker, particularly the university’s admissions team — with strong support from faculty, deans and other departments — for their “tremendous work” this past spring and summer to produce preliminary enrollment numbers that reflect “a record number of applications and admissions for the fall of 2023.”

While final fall enrollment won’t be official until mid-September, the latest figures show a 2% overall increase from last fall’s enrollment of about 20,000 students fueled by jumps in first-time freshmen (11.4%), new graduate students (11%), and new undergraduate students (7%).

“During this past year we have asked everyone to increase efforts related to recruitment and yield, and you all have delivered,” added University Provost Mark Byrnes. “Next week we’ll welcome thousands of new Blue Raiders, and it’s largely due to the efforts of the faculty, staff, students and alumni who are in this room today.

“We make a promise to students and their families when they’re admitted … that we will do everything we can to help students succeed.”

As evidence of those efforts, McPhee also noted that, for the fifth straight year, MTSU was named to the Princeton Review’s prestigious ranking among the 389 Best Colleges and Universities in America, one of only five institutions in the state to make the list.

McPhee pointed to “enormous growth” of the university’s fully online degree programs, now totaling 38, up from just 16 programs in 2021. The university also experienced a 10% increase in faculty research and service proposals last year that resulted in more than $12.1 million awarded in grants and financial support.